


Give 'Em The Old Razzle Dazzle

by Traillbits



Category: Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Toreador LaCroix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:14:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29096346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Traillbits/pseuds/Traillbits
Summary: For the Cainites of LA Discord server challenge: What if LaCroix were Embraced by the Toreador instead of Clan Ventrue? A Oneshot for now, but that may change in the future.
Relationships: Sebastian LaCroix/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 10
Collections: The Many Clans of Sebastian Lacroix





	1. The Pride of the Peacock

The first thing he reached for upon waking up was his cellphone. 

But Sebastian could already recall just what was on his to do list tonight before he even turned on the device. He was to discuss his terms with the Prince on just what he would need to renovate the latest hotspot downtown. Relations and funding being shaky at best for the human proprietor and her Russian gorillas made it easy enough to be bought off under the Prince’s dime. 

‘Good riddance’, Sebastian remembered thinking to himself the first time he entered Confession. ‘Who in the right mind would set up a turnstile in a gothic nightclub?’ 

His tired eyes perked up seeing a new message that had come just after sunset.

‘I could desperately use your help again. Won’t you do me this one teensy favor, Bastian? Pretty please for me? ;)’ 

Sebastian gave a sigh, setting the phone back on the nightstand face down. He knew exactly what teensy favor Jeanette wanted to call upon. He never should have crowed about their one night stand, or at least that’s what he thought had happened-the twins looked so much alike he couldn’t recall which one he had gone to bed with and awakened to. Regardless of his past dalliances with the Voermans’, his services did not come cheap whether that be by currency or yet another boon he was owed. 

Pushing this aside, a shower was the next step. Immersing himself in the scalding hot water he turned off the taps after ten minutes of soaking had passed. He dried himself off, the Toreador wrapped a cream colored towel around his waist as the steam began to gradually dissipate. Staring back at his pale and youthful face, it was time to get on with his nightly routine. 

He always had to fix his hair first, bless this modern age they lived in for the courtesy of blow dryers. The hot air billowed through the blond locks that reached his shoulders, Sebastian began combing the now dry and voluptuous hair back so as it were not frizzy and untamed. Running his hands back through his scalp, giving his hair a nice gel finish as he did so, the Toreador tied the remainder back in a neat, pristine ponytail.

Opening up the closet, Sebastian didn’t need a long time to consider just what he would be wearing for this meeting. Putting on and doing up a white button up shirt, the blond fastened the rose gold cufflinks before moving onto the remainder of his grey three piece suit. Tugging down the suit jacket he ran his hands down the front so as to alleviate any creases. Opening an adjacent drawer he stands in front of the mirror, placing a neatly folded paisley patterned handkerchief in his breastpocket.

A pair of well shined, tan dress shoes were tied good and tight, Sebastian gave one scrutinizing glance at the heels. 

His final touch was always a single knotted ascot, matching the same style as his handkerchief. Gently tugging the fabric down that was now wrapped around his neck, Sebastian did up one of the three buttons he had purposely left undone earlier. 

Giving himself a final once over in the mirror, Sebastian LaCroix was quite satisfied. 

\--

Sebastian sat back comfortably in the chair, one leg crossed over the other. He waited patiently with his hands clasped for the fellow Artisan behind the desk to review his numbers. 

She gave a sigh, “And all these accommodations are necessary?”

He gave a shrug, “If you actually want to attract some fresh blood and keep the riff raff out then yes. Unless you’d rather an unfortunate incident as had occurred in Hollywood. That poor defenseless Kine suffering a katana to the back, how tragic. Would be a pity if hunters were sniffing about in Los Angeles next.”

She narrowed her amber eyes at him, “Do tell me that isn’t a threat. You know not to cross me, Sebastian.”

But he merely smiled, holding his hands up in yielding. “I would never dream of that, Prince Taylor. After all I remember our nights spent together in New York, including one particularly special evening you and I had in Manhattan.”

Evelyn frowned, “Please don’t call me that. You know as well as I do that I am only filling in the role of Prince temporarily. Until a suitable replacement can be found for Prince Thomas since he had his… episode.”

Yet another reason why Sebastian was refusing to take Jeanette’s calls or answer her texts. He had gotten cozy enough to not instill the wrath of the twins Dementation capabilities. But the Toreador was not foolish enough to stand too close to fire were it to go up and swallow him whole as had been the fate of L.A’s previous bureaucrat. 

“Besides,” Evelyn continued. “I didn’t think you still thought about ‘us’. You seem pretty happily settled down yourself.”

Sebastian gave a chuckle, “But does that mean I’m not allowed to reminisce the past with an old friend?”

Her frowned finally turned upward into a slight smile. She slid the papers back to him. “Consider your request approved. I’ll write off the expenses.” 

“Most appreciated, Evie. What ever would I do without you?”

Still smirking she waved her hand at him, “Shoo, go fly off now or I’ll claim you’re more peacock than Harpy.”

Collecting his papers, Sebastian stood to take his leave. 

He cocked his head as he called, “Give my regards to Arthur when you see him.”

\--

The rest of the evening was mundane. The well dressed Toreador making calls and collecting on owing boons so as to establish a much more stable Elysium. One so as to avoid the panic of vampire hunters calling on Vesuvius and the Asp Hole, and one that’s decorum was not akin to a black and white gothic horror show. 

Sebastian took care of what little business needed to be arranged on his part. 

His phone buzzed again, but thankfully it was not another call upon by Jeanette Voerman. 

‘Are you busy?’ The message read.

His icy blue-grey eyes softened. He had been quiet as of late these past few nights. He hadn’t fed as of yet but was beginning to feel peckish. Apt timing she had indeed!

‘I’ll be right over.’ He texted back. Hailing a cab, he made his way over to the Skyline Apartments. 

Since Sebastian had gotten word from Evelyn that the Sabbat had been causing a disturbance as of late, he had taken out some funds acquired from his latest flip to put his ghoul up in a more secure building than her previous apartment. Of course he would feel much more relief when he was permitted to Sire her and she being more capable of defending against such rogue Kindred. It was poor timing that Prince Thomas at such a peak point when Sebastian was awaiting approval that the Ventrue bureaucrat had succumb to Malkavian induced madness. 

Taking the elevator up, he punched in his keycode to gain entry. Sebastian was quite pleased to see she was waiting for his arrival. 

“I’m sorry, you didn’t have to come so urgently.” Sarah apologized, to which the Toreader gave a snort.

“It’s never an inconvenience to see you. I noticed you liked the dress.”

She bit her lower lip, “I do, but you really didn’t have to.”

Sebastian flashed her a knowing smile, “I know very well I don’t, but I want to. Besides, you were very persuasive in convincing the investors to sell Confession over to the Prince and by virtue in my favor. It seemed only right that you deserved a treat.”

He ran a hand down her cheek, his cool fingers tracing down her face before gently brushing away her ebony hair. 

“And it looks most ravishing on you, might I say…” The Toreador mumbled, nuzzling her neck as Sarah scooted closer. He didn't even need to use his Presence on her, she was more than willing to let him have what he wanted. 

She felt herself lulled back against the sofa, her legs hiked up as he climbed atop her. 

He clicked his tongue feeling her grip his shoulder. 

“Now now, don’t crease the suit.” He smirked before his fangs latched themselves on her throat. 

She moaned, feeling the pleasurably numbing effects of his Kiss. It was like this since their first meeting, he had meant only for a quick sup once he had convinced her to let him into her home. Not that Kindred needed an invitation-an asinine myth-but he felt it was only polite to drink from the willing. 

Though when he caught sight of the decorum in her apartment, Sebastian knew he needed to intervene. It was by pure happenstance that she was especially beautiful and after so many nights had invited him into her home again, as well as her bed. 

At least while he was giving her but a taste of his blood that he could wait out when the domain’s Prince would provide Sebastian the means to Embrace. But in all honestly, the Toreador was getting frustrated waiting. He was fixing Los Angeles flawed Elysium, keeping the hunters at bay unlike his lazy cohorts in Hollywood. The right to Sire was practically owed to him at this point.

But for now he could make due with the hand he was given as Sebastian gently stroked Sarah’s hair, hearing her breathlessly mumble his name. 

After he drank his fill and she would regain a little more composure, perhaps he would take her out to Rodeo Drive for the remainder of the evening. Sebastian could not resist spoiling his soon to be protégé. Not to mention he knew just the place that had a necklace which would look absolutely stunning with her dress.


	2. A Man of Few Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian and his financial consultant-or at least that's what they're calling this little partnership when they're on the clock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah this story will have a handful of chapters, perhaps two or three more after this. While LaCroix is a Toreador in this setting, I also tweaked around with a few other characters Clans. So Seb will not be the only one that is different from his canonical counterpart. It is an AU afterall!

"Nines, will you please stop signing 'jump up your ass and die' again at my contractor?” LaCroix mumbled when Mr. Carthers had excused himself for a moment. “He's going to figure out what you're saying eventually."

His companion crossed his arms, wearing a scowl. He made a series of hand gestures, giving the Toreador an apprehensive look. 

“He may not comprehend precisely what you’re saying, but the angry slap of your hand against your fist can believe it or not come across as intimidating. As it is, this meeting took weeks to plan." Sebastian sighed, it was so much easier when he didn't have to deal with humans. But a good forty percent of his clients were made up of wealthy Kine that benefited from a man of the Toreador's expertise. This going both ways with he himself making a very hefty profit and feel rewarded with a new project.

Nines blue eyes darted to the door and back to LaCroix, he motioned another signing gesture. 

The Toreador raised a brow, “You don’t trust him, and I have a feeling you know why I shouldn’t.”

It was a statement rather than a question, but Nines looked as though he were itching to say something that was on his mind. But he was desperately keeping it in, though his effort was not good enough.

“You can kiss your money goodbye, the fools gold spent on Australia with the intent to never return.” He had spat out, his knuckles clenched as that obscure click that plagued the Childer of Malkav set in.

As it turned out, walking away from the deal was indeed a smart decision. Two weeks later, a rival attempting to snipe on LaCroix’s claim for two prosperous lots in a new expansion downtown had gone bankrupt. Their investment gone as Carthers was last reported to be on a one-way flight to join his twenty-two year old mistress in Melbourne with a hefty sum of untraceable cash.

Deals such as these were what he and Nines Rodriguez early nights together in New York looked like. When they’d happened upon each other the brutish Malkavian had been rowing the streets, relying only on cheap motels for a temporary haven and preying on the homeless for a nightly sup. He’d been getting by so miserably and lonely since his Embrace, the cowardly Sire that did not mean to even make him vanishing into the night before Nines even woke up as Kindred. 

But after a chance meeting in an Elysium hotspot that had taken a hard hit with the increasing Sabbat activity in the big apple, Sebastian found himself quite enthralled with the handsomely rugged loner. Not everything was strictly about business, and the stylistic artisan had shared his bed with both women and men in the past-on occasion at one time. 

Communication was always a barrier for most Kindred Nines encountered since his premature Embrace. While it was argued that he did possess the uncommonly advanced equivalent of the Seers gift, these prophetic accounts only came about when the poor man opened his mouth to speak rather than visions in his head. For such a reason, Nines opted not to speak at all, as he could never control just what insight of truth was going to fly out next be it good or bad. 

Most Kine or Kindred were put off by his tendencies to use sign language given not everyone could comprehend the unspoken dialect-and he would grow impatient and temperamental when he could not be understood. Or they grew annoyed he relented to writing it all down in a scrawly hand on some scrap paper. 

Yet, for whatever reason this did not cause Sebastian to walk away. Similarly, how Nines found himself unable to give the smirking blond a basic hand gesture most people knew meant to piss off-but that could also be attributed to LaCroix’s uncommonly high Presence that radiated off his very being. 

The Toreador’s original flirtatious advances and the Malkavian’s crass incoming insult were side barred however in favor of Nines uncontrollably spewing, “If I were you I’d worry about Henderson, did those five figures come from five finger discounts?”

As it had happened, the fresh-faced blond was approached by a Joan Henderson offering to invest. LaCroix was already hesitant about creating a partnership with her on this project, the Malkavian’s word just bringing his refusal to tag team with Henderson to full fruition. As word got out, the under the table businesswoman was arrested just over a week later. She had been tagged with embezzlement totalling over $30, 000, exactly what she had originally offered Sebastian in exchange for the partnership on this new contract. 

Since then, LaCroix and Rodriguez had become inseparable partners, at least that was how Sebastian pitched it initially-business and whatever else occurred in between. He knew the Malkavian would scowl and refuse his money to house him or provide a better blood supply if it were out of charity. So, instead he offered the financial compensation in exchange for Nines services. So as he could still better the Kindred’s lifestyle without it sullying that strange twinge on the Malkavian’s conscience about taking handouts.

Of the two however, Rodriguez felt grateful for the company rather than the clean apartment to call his own. He'd been alone for so long that for even someone so pompously flashy as the unofficial Harpy of LA to not giving a conceited side eye was comforting. Albeit he felt safer knowing he had a friend.

He did not foresee their meeting so perhaps it was a chance of fate. In Sebastian’s early years as a Neonate, the Toreador had ventured down to Africa in the early 1900s and come across a Nagloper without any from his own Clan or Sect. When the beast of a vampire allowed LaCroix to bring him to the village he’d been occupying with an elder Losombra, it was revealed the Kindred’s tongue had been removed. There were two Tremere within the coterie Sebastian had tagged along with at that time that did in fact comprehend sign language. With some negotiating-and his abnormally high essence of Presence-they taught him the basics of the dialect when it was clear the Nagloper wished to communicate with the Neonate further. 

The end result was the behemoth wishing to abandon the country and pursue new lands. Sebastian was no bureaucrat requiring a muscular bodyguard willing or not to serve him. Nevertheless he offered a fresh start within the Camarilla when they reached London’s mainland. The Nagloper still shadowed LaCroix wherever he went whilst tasked by the Capes. But he did not meddle or make his presence uncomfortably obvious to the Toreador. It seemed he'd grown quite attached to the blond since their initial meeting. Sebastian settled on having this shadow-every so often when he had an investor who attempted to neg on their deal and refuse to pay up he knew just who to call on to shake a few trees. 

But another end result of this encounter was Sebastian being one of the few people that Nines could open up to more. Granted the Malkavian used very crude and salty language when he got especially riled up, even when signing. Some ‘new’ nonverbal dialect LaCroix gradually picked up on, but for the most part he could comprehend Nines just well enough. Originally assuming Nines was deaf and not adopting selective mutism he had even opted to sign back his responses to the well built Malkavian. It was flattering, or at least the kindest means of effort Nines had seen from another person in over fifty years. 

Both meant something to the other, and it didn’t hurt that they found the other respectively attractive either. Though the latter consisted of only minor dalliances together, curled in Sebastian’s silk sheets or tangled up limbs upon the maroon couch in Nines haven-more often he fell asleep on that than the bed. The Malkavian didn’t want to risk a slip of the tongue and let loose more prophecies if things became too vocal and carnal.

Tonight though was a leisurely one after that last deal. Nines recognize the once gothic hub come into view. It’d been some weeks since Sebastian had attained the deeds to gut and flip Confession entirely, and the Malkavian had had yet to see what his Toreador companion had done with the place. Nightclubs weren’t often his scene, somewhere more low key like the Last Round to which the Brujahs of L.A more often frequented was Nines style. But last time he was in there they gave him a few sideways glances when he couldn’t keep that Seer twitch to himself. He hadn’t been back around since.

“I am feeling parched, aren’t you?” Sebastian asked, giving him a little smirk, “Some fresh blood may do us both some good.”

Nines nodded, he hadn’t fed since waking up that evening. An easy sup from one of the local youths attracted to the new club would calm his nerves. He didn’t feel so prone to spew out prophetic word vomit if his thirst was properly sated. 

LaCroix held the door open for the Malkavian, effectively drawing back the curtain into this new sanctum. 

The Toreador was on an off night of course, but he did want to check out how his latest passion project was going now that it was brimming with activity. 

That, and of course he wanted to see if the club was also to his Childe’s liking. She did say she would be here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Malky Nines!  
> So I will be writing a Brujah Nines story one day and his backstory will vary from his Malkavian counterparts as seen here. 
> 
> But for this AU, Malk Nines-formerly Armando-as a human was on the run for a crime he didn't commit. Whilst train hopping, hitchhiking, making his way on foot a half starved Malkavian came across him one night while he was trying to sleep. Coming out of the thirst driven Frenzy however they'd all but drained Nines, but his soon to be Sire doesn't jive with killing humans and while it's a poor choice decides to Embrace him and continue on into the night. Nines awakens alone, hungry, and confused. He eventually realizes what he is and has to come to terms with this new lifestyle and especially once he discovers this new 'gift' he's acquired from his Sire. He's angry at being Embraced and abandoned, and gets pretty hot headed when it comes to the Seer babble that wants to come out.

**Author's Note:**

> For those unfamiliar, the OC Evelyn Taylor belongs to Ao3 writer HeleneDeNothing. She is a Toreador from her fanfic "Resilient" which you should TOTALLY read :3  
> The other OC Sarah is my own OC Sarah Evans who is LaCroix's Childe in my fanfic "Embrace the Night" I mean I'd love more readers for sure <3
> 
> Prince Vannevar Thomas I mentioned in EtN but he is a canon VtM character. Thomas became Prince of LA in 2018 but did succumb to the Malkavian discipline Dementation at the hands of the Voerman twins. Whether Therese or Jeanette was responsible it doesn't say which.


End file.
